In the spirit of actually updating more regularly...

...and with something other than Creek-related fandomosity, here's an entry with actual substance!

At work, we are officially a "citywide" service (even though PSS doesn't work like that and we are all still based at our usual office locations), which means that we can be sent to minute all over the city. So yesterday morning I was sent to Tamebridge House.

I made my way there in a somewhat leisurely fashion, rather than risking having a lie-in and the buses being rubbish, so I had breakfast at Cherry Street Pret like in the good old days of going there every morning when I worked at Ingleby House. :D I had a plain croissant and a skinny mocha and OMG it was like being wrapped in a lovely coffee-flavoured hug. I miss Pret. :(

Anyway, I arrived at Tamebridge House at around 9.20 (for a 10.00am meeting), got myself all set up with my laptop, etc., and waited for everyone to arrive. At around 9.45, the Chair hadn't turned up, so I checked his diary, which definitely said 10.00am. Then I checked the room booking diary and it was booked for 2.00pm.

At this point I started to panic so went on CareFirst to check the meeting details there - also 2.00pm. The previous minutes said the same thing. At 9.55 I called CP at New Aston House (as it was a North case) to let the know, at which point the Chair turned up. I explained my findings and he called the Social Worker, who also had the meeting down as 2.00pm, and it then transpired the outcome form from the previous meeting ALSO said 2.00pm for the next meeting, but for whatever reason it had been put (or possibly moved) in his diary for 10.00am.

We agreed to do the meeting at 2.00pm as it was CP, even though the Chair had a Pathway Review in Lichfield at that time, and to push the latter back to 4.00pm. (It actually got cancelled as they couldn't get in touch with the carer.)

I then went back to New Aston House as it was up the road on the bus, but didn't get there until 10.45. I stayed there for two hours to at least get something done, left at 12.45 to find some lunch and arrived back at Tamebridge for 1.20. The meeting was actually a really quick de-list and thus over by 3.00, so I stayed there until 4.20 doing my outcome forms / plans and then met Paul in town.

Basically, I spent most of Monday on the bus, having a scenic tour of north Birmingham. :P

As annoying as the situation was, however, it didn't make me as homicidally angry as any of the petty stupidities I encountered on a daily basis in Legal Services. Every day this job reminds me why I moved, and why it was the best thing I could have done, as a year later I reflect on just how bad things had become... I still miss the lovely people, of course (and they can't get rid of me as I've been back to visit on three occasions) but getting out of that situation was absolutely the best thing for my sanity and health.

This morning there's been yet another cock-up with the minuting list (because it changes every ten minutes on a Friday afternoon) where someone was supposed to be minuting at St Andrew's and wasn't aware of it (she's now gone to do the one at 1.00pm instead, on public transport). Also, initially I was down to cover four meetings this week, but had to cover one on Friday afternoon in an emergency so they took it back down to three. Originally I was doing two at St Andrew's, one at Tamebridge and one at SOAC (the one I can walk to from Lifford), but because the minuting list is a very contentious issue and essentially boils down to politics and keeping people happy, they took me off the one at SOAC. So we quietly swapped a few around with people who actually drive. :P

I have said this on countless occasions: if they want to pay me to sit on the bus all day, that's up to them.

It also doesn't help that different areas do things slightly differently even though we all do the same job. In South we foresee a lot more fail on the horizon simply by virtue of the other areas not being quite as good/efficient as we are. :P

In other news: last night we started watching Farscape. :D As Lloyd was nice enough to get me season 2 for Christmas, and thanks to the announcement of a potentially imminent movie (OMG OMG OMG), I had already decided that 2014 would be the year of marathoning it, and as there was nothing better on last night we slotted the first two episodes in before watching My Mad Fat Diary.

Talking of which: last night's episode was just... augh. Such a heart-wrenchingly accurate portrayal of how everything can spiral into utter bleakness and completely defeat you...

Anyway. I will try and keep this somewhat brief as I think as we get further through the re-watch we might be watching more than two at a go and it'll be impossible to get all the Thoughts down... I have pre-warned Paul that by the time we get to Season 3 I will be a flailing mess of feels, but I'm not sure either of us are adequately prepared for this. ;)

That being said: bullet points!

S1E1 - Premiere

It's kind of strange for me to think this show started in the late nineties (just about) because it seemed so fresh and modern at the time. The effects actually look a bit ropey these days, though it's still aesthetically pleasing, and I think the puppetry really helps; it gives it that same almost-timeless quality of stuff like the Muppets or Labyrinth, as well as creating a sense that these beings really are alien (because they're not humanoid in shape/stature).

I had forgotten how much I love Pilot. He's so snarky and adorable!

I'd also forgotten how awesomely badass Aeryn is. :D

John's "human-ness" was obviously always a fundamental part of why the show worked, and I think the Premiere really hammers that home. His reactions to everything are exactly what you'd expect from someone meeting alien life for the first time: initial fear, mild disbelief, fascination. That quietly astounded, "I'm on another planet..." about halfway through, as he just stands there and surveys all the alien life and vehicles. This is a guy whose father was an astronaut, who we know was brought up on Star Trek and Star Wars and all the other geeky things we ourselves are so familiar with - I like to think that if any of us found ourselves in such a situation, we would probably react in much the same way.

Obviously this would not be a Farscape rewatch without discussing John/Aeryn. ;) For some reason I'm always convinced that "You had me at 'hello'..." is from the Premiere, but unless I wasn't paying attention I don't think it is. But in any case, she clearly does; notwithstanding John thinks she's a human in the first instance, there's already a little spark of something from the moment she takes the helmet off. (And then - of course - she kicks his arse.)

The Premiere also gives us the first of many infinitely quotable moments that get straight to the crux of J/A, namely, "You can be more..." It's really interesting that John says this so early on, that he knows almost instinctively that there's more to Aeryn than her breeding - and perhaps it's just another example of his inherent human-ness that he doesn't just see the exterior. Though I do wonder if it's also a reaction to the fact that Aeryn looks human and thus far he has no evidence to the contrary (other than Zhaan/D'Argo pointing out that they examined Crichton and found he wasn't a Peacekeeper).

Of course, we can't forget the other: "Irreversibly Contaminated". Perhaps unsurprisingly, I now want that as a tattoo. My intention is to immortalise all of my fandoms in some fashion, and for the most part I'd decided on doing the majority as quotes (with Sunset, I gave up and decided to just go for "10086"...) Even more than any of the other J/A-related quotes, of which there will be many, "irreversibly contaminated" really gets straight to its heart - and indeed would be appropriate in its own right given my approach to fandom. :P

On a lesser note, the Premiere brought back all of my old Zhaan/D'Argo feels. :D

S2E2: Throne for a Loss

So, an indeterminate amount of time has passed since the Premiere, and John already considers D'Argo his "friend". Not quite sure D'Argo would agree with you there. ;)

In this episode we also learn quite a lot about the characters, which makes sense considering the pace of the Premiere. We learn, for example, that Zhaan is a healer as well as being a 9th level Pa'u; that Luxans are not healed until their blood runs clear; that D'Argo does that awesome/terrifying tongue thing; and that Aeryn has no time for John's mispronunciation and general Earth nonsense. :P

In that regard, each character's reaction to the gauntlet is a direct reflection on their personalities. D'Argo essentially brings on a hyper-rage, Aeryn turns into full-on guns-blazing commando, and John... runs really fast. Actually, I can imagine him being a quarterback, so that makes sense. ;)

The "tavloids" / "tavleks" thing is hilarious, and I think sets the tone quite well for the humour we would come to expect from this show. Favourite moment: Aeryn pantak-jabbing Crichton before correcting his pronunciation, and his FACE in the prowler later on, as he can't decide whether to be annoyed or impressed but either way he's already fallen so hard he can't breathe. Another reason this show was amazing: the amount of moments like that where the characters (these two in particular) don't even need to speak but they still have us in hysterics of either kind. :D

There's also a point where you don't even need to see Aeryn's face: after Rygel hands her the crystal and jokes about not washing it, and she just pauses halfway down the corridor and you can SEE her fighting the urge to punch him in the face.

Also: two episodes in and already John and Aeryn have ridiculous chemistry, and we find them in situations whereby John has "conveniently" managed to drape himself all over her. (Sometimes subtlety is overrated!) I appreciate anew how this 'ship ate my brain so quickly, even when I didn't get into the show until halfway through Season 2: you literally only need 10 seconds of their nonsense and you're lost. ;)

Apparently I have a weakness for 'ships where the offscreen (/ stage) chemistry is partially responsible, but I suppose that's reasonable.

Aeryn and D'Argo bickering over the gauntlet's after-effects is cute and hilarious in equal measure.

Best line: "That's your plan? Wyle E Coyote could come up with a better plan than that!"

And finally: that last image of Zhaan after she talks to "the boy" and her resignation that her efforts were wasted. Quietly powerful.

And that's that - for now. I actually attempted to do this for X-Files but as Denise and I have now hit season 2 and were watching 5-6 episodes in a go, I kind of gave up. I might come back to it when I have some spare time and get up to speed, though - I have so many thoughts and feelings re: Mulder/Scully on my second full rewatch.

I think that'll do for now. I suspect I will need to make more Farscape icons soon, though. :D